Sawmill construction



Jan. 25, 1949. E. E. EsGATE SAWMILL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 1e, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet l mw. wN. QN

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Filed May 16, 1947 NN. @n 'H Raw A .1 J g? w ESM @Bgm 2x9* @L 17V/5.4. "721 lx E. E. ESGATE SAWMILL CONSTRUCTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Nv R1 w I t 0 I MMWOO Q ErnesEES @fe l@ O @Norway `an. 25, 1949.i E. E. EsGA'vrE l 2,459,8004

SAWMILL CONSTRUCTION Hom/wtf Jan. 25, 1949.

Filed May 16, 1947 FIL/ 7.10.

E. E. ESGAT SAWMILL CONSTRUCTION HHHHHHIHHIIIIII HIHHIII...

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SAWMILL CONSTRUCTION n Filed May 1e, 1947 I e 'sheets-sheet 6 IHI Patented lian. 25, `1949 UNITED STATES PATENT onirica amended April 30',

The invention described herein may be man-ufactured and used by or for the Government for.

governmental purposes, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a platform mounting for portable sawmills and, more particularly,v is

concerned with such mountings provided for increased portability and simplificationl of install-ation and operation. v-

It is the general object of my invention to provide a new and improved mounting suitable fbr installation on a variety of conventional' higli capacity portable sawmills, the platformmounted mill being relatively inexpensive to manufacture, long-lived and capablev of producing large volumes of sawed lumber with the employment of a limited number of skilled workmen.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a means of assembling the components of a. high capacity portable sawmill into a compact and highly mobile unit at the factory, to elim-inate many time-consuming operations and to obviate the necessity for dismantling andreassembling the components each time the high capacity portable sawmill is moved from the'scene of one operation to another.

Another object of my invention is to provide for a considerable'reduction in the skill required to install and maintain a high capacity portable sawmill for operation, through'the provision for assembly of the components at the factory, to require only minor operating adjustments at the scene of operations.

Another object of my invention is to provide for a platform mounting that may be readilyincreased in width without sacrice of rigidity and that is not limited to special types of sawmill equipment or to special means of transport, the said platform mounting being suitable for transport on any conventional logging truckV and trailer combination or similarvelii'cle, and? also suitable for transport on Wheels attached' to thc framework when towed by a conventional truck, tractor, or other vehicle.

Another object or my invention is to provide for increased productive capacity and improved accuracy of performance in portable sawmills through the design of a platform mounting that increases the rigidity of the operating base and maintains the relation between the planes in which components operate.

The foregoing objects of my invention, and other objects thereof which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by the provision of a platform mounting of the type 192s; 370 o. G. 757) orvtypesy illustrated, in'accordance withI my inven tion,. in the accompanying. drawings, wherein:h

Fig'. i is a side elevation orf a platform-mounted high capacity portable sawmillasainstalled; for

5 operation; v,

Fig. 21is a top plan' view of the platform` shown inv Fig. 12;

' Fig.f3 is a-i side elevation of a unit loaded? for transport on a conventional logging truck-'trailer l combination;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of an 'ends portion of the.l base, showing. a hinged en'di section and Aportions of the expanded metaly flooring;

Fig. 5v is a perspective View of theportiorro the base shown ini Fig. 4; Fig. V6V is a sectional' elevation showingthecom struction of one of the jack'sl used' infel'evating the base;

Fig. '7 is an elevationr showing aportioni ofi the centralsection ot the base, and a' hinged erfdsection connected therewith;

Fig. 8f is a sectionizedl elevation line 8-8iof Figurel; Y Y

Fig. 9i is af sectionizedl elevation; taken on the une afl-9 (irrigare 4; t

Fig- 10 is a-y sectionizdelevation showing'the mounted location of the saw",-m'ot'o'randrlogl carriage tracks, the view being taken: onftlie"'liner luf-IUI of` Figure l;

Fig. l1' isa vertical cross-sectional-view similar to-fthat shown in'- Fig. 103 butv sliowing the platiform after widening the vsamebythe-insertionof the centra-ll expansion member', tof'v adaptf it for mounting the lar-gest type ofconventionalf porftable'sawrnill; l

' Fig. I-2 is a perspective l,view showing aJ central end port-ion of the' framew-ith spacing member inserted therein.' f f Refer-ring tov Fig.y 1`- of they drawings', itwillE be notedv that the-base ifllfis composed offthree sections or unitslcomprising a central section lil a-nd two end sections I?? and which are yhing'ed-lyconnectedto theA central section -I l byhinge members I4 and i5, andwhich may be'folddfup to'o'verlapthe centralsectiorr as-'sl1owny Fig. 33. The units H, Iii-andllare composed oiafr'arnework io'rmedof structural members comprising upper longitudinal beams i6, I'I and I6', il', lower longitudinal beams I8, I9, 2U and I8', I9', 20', upper transverse elements 2| and 2|', lower transverse elements 22 and 22', support elements 23 and 23', longitudinal bracing elements 261, 25, 26 and 24', 25', 26', central bracing elements 23 and transverse bracing elements 2l and 2l'. The upper longitudinal and transverse elements form taken.A on the an upper deck which is partially covered by expanded sheet metal 50. The lower longitudinal and transverse elements lie in a plane parallel to the upper deck. VBoth the upper and lower longitudinal members 'are not only utilized as frame members of the mobile base but as support elements for thesaw mounting 29,',the motor 30, and the tracksSI yon'which is mounted the longitudinally movable carriage 32. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that when the end sections I2 and I3 are folded back upon ,the upper surface of the central section II, the carriage is locked in place,

and that the base is so constructed thatitmay be.

elevated by lifting it from either end, or by lifting the entire unit from the center thereof.

The saw frame assemblies 5I and 52 are made as an integral part of the platform assembly to support the conventional saw mechanisms 53 and 54.

Provision is also made in the design to include anele'ctric motor as a part of the assembly, but the saws may also be operated by connecting the same to a counter shaft to trans-mit power y from an outside source.

presents a non-obstructed lower surface that will permit passage thereof over a roller for loading. It-Will be notedfrom the end elevation shown in Figs. 5 and 9 that the frame is braced centrally by transverse bracingV members 21 and 21' `and that the entire frame is made up of separable halves joined centrallyby bolting the upper longitudinal [members I1 and I1', and lowerv longitudinal members and 20' together, .and uniting the lower transverse members 22, 22' by a lock bar 34 which is bolted toeach of these members.'

The transverse sections are formed of two units, one of which comprises upper and lower transverse horizontal members 2I and 22, the transverse braces 21 andthe outer support members 23, and a symmetrically formed unit includingl the upper and lower transverse horizontal members 2I' and 22', the transvere braces 21 and the outer support members 23. In each section are mounted jacks 33 at locationswhere they will not only form a stable support for the base Lbut also support the apparatus mounted on the base without causing excessive strain in -any particular member of the frame.l This is accomplished by locating the jacks 33 as near as possible to the center of gravity of the supported loads and at the same time far enough from the longitudinal center of the base to` effect stable support for the entire structure.

Since each side of the frame, on either side lower transverse member 48 and extension strips 49. The upper transverse and longitudinal members, and lower transverse and longitudinal members of the spacing unit 38 are connected by jacks 33. Thus, when the platform is f widened the jacks of the spacing unit or insert 38 provide central supports for the widened span. The insertion of the spacing unit 38 provides additional Width in the overall structure that may be utilized to increase the width of the carriage 32, the length of the saw mandrel 54v or of either or both.

In the illustrations the frame is shown as being composed of structural members of the solid type such as angles and channel bars, but other shapes, especially tubing, may be used to suit the purpose for which the device is especially designed. If an extremely light structure is desired tubing would be the ideal structural shape to use.

Having thus described -my invention, what I claim' and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

A platform adapted for the mounting of conventional sawmill units, and comprising a trussed frame structure including a central section and end sections hingedly connected thereto and foldable upon said central section, said sections being formed in symmetrical separable halves connected together along the longitudinal center line, and .an insert adapted to be placed intermediatevsaid symmetrical half sections to widen said frame, said frame and said insert being composed of upper and lower longitudinal and transverse members, and spacing members, said spacing members including jacks connected to said upper and lower transverse members, positioned laterally from the longitudinal center of said. mounting a distance sufficient to effect stability thereof and to support the loads thereon at least substantially beneath their centers of gravity, and base plates operatively connected to said jacks adapted to be retracted within said trussed structure between said lower longitudinal members.

ERNEST E. ESGATE.

vREFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

